Jaundice Diet Treatment

The simple form of jaundice can be cured rapidly by diet therapy and exercises. Recovery will, however, be slow in serious cases which have been caused by obstruction or pressure in the bile ducts. The patient should rest until the acute symptoms of the disease subside.

The patient should be put on a juice fast for a week. The juices of oranges, lemons, grapes, pears, carrots, beets and sugarcane can be taken. A hot water enema should be taken daily during this period to ensure regular bowel elimination, thereby preventing the absorption of decomposed, poisonous material into the blood stream.

Diet Chart for Jaundice Patients

Upon arising: A glass of warm water with juice of half a lemon.

Breakfast: One fresh juicy fruit such as apple, pear, mango, papaya, or some grapes, or berries. One cup wheat broken wheat or one slice of whole meal bread with a little butter.

Mid-morning: Orange or pear juice.

Lunch: Raw vegetable salad, two small wheat tortilla of whole wheat flour, a steamed leafy vegetable such a. Spinach, fenugreek or carrot and a glass of buttermilk.

Mid-afternoon: Coconut water or apple juice.

Dinner: One cup strained vegetable soup, two wheat tortilla of whole meal, baked potato and one other leafy vegetable like fenugreek seeds, spinach, etc.

Before retiring: A glass of hot skimmed milk with honey if desired.

All fats like clarified butter, butter, cream and oils must be avoided for at least two weeks, and after that butter and olive oil may be included in the diet but their consumption should be kept down to the minimum. A light carbohydrate diet, with exclusion of fats, best obtained from vegetables and fruits should be taken.

The patient should take plenty of fresh vegetables and fruit juices. Dandelion leaves, radishes with leaves, en dive should be added to the daily raw vegetable salad. Raw al3ples and pears are especially beneficial. Barley water, drunk several times during the day, is considered a good remedy for jaundice. One cup of barley should be boiled in six pints of water and simmered for three hours.

Digestive disturbances must be avoided. No food with a tendency to ferment or putrefy in the lower intestines like pulses and legumes should be included in the diet. Drinking a lot of water with lemon juice will protect the damaged liver cells.

The jaundice patient can overcome the condition quite easily with the above regime and build up his sick liver until it functions normally once again. A recurrence of liver trouble can be prevented with reasonable care in the diet and life style, with regular, moderate exercise and frequent exposure to sunshine, fresh air and adequate rest.

Research has shown that the liver has an excellent capacity to regenerate itself provided all essential nutrients adequately supplied. Diets high in complete proteins. Vitamin C. And B vitamins, particularly choline. And vitamin E can hasten its regeneration. Even after recovery, it is essential to maintain the diet for a long period to prevent recurrence of the trouble.

Jaundice Foods to Eat, Avoid

I. Raw juice diet for 3 to 5 days. Oranges, lemons, sugarcane and carrots may be used for juices. During this period, the bowels should be cleaned daily with lukewarm water enema.

II An all-fruit diet for further 3 to 5 days, with three meals a day at five-hourly intervals.

III. Thereafter, adopt the following diet: -

1. Upon arising: A glass of lukewarm water mixed with half a freshly squeezed lime and a teaspoon of honey.

2. Breakfast: Fresh fruits and a cup of fresh toned or skimmed milk, sweetened with honey or jaggery.

3. Mid-morning: Lemon or Carrot juice.

4. Lunch: Raw vegetable salad, steamed vegetables, whole wheat wheat tortilla and a glass of buttermilk.

5. Mid-afternoon: Coconut water or sugarcane juice.

6. Dinner: Vegetable soup, boiled vegetables with limejuice dressing and whole wheat wheat tortilla.

7. Before retiring: A glass of skimmed or toned milk.

Food especially beneficial: Limejuice. Pear, lemon. Barley water. Coconut water, sugarcane juice and radish leave Juice.

Avoid: Fried and fatty foods, too much butter and clarified butter, meats, tea, coffee, pickles, condiments and pulses.

B - OTHER MEASURES

1. Drink plenty of water with lemon juice.
2. Adequate rest.
3. Avoid digestive disturbances.
4. Moderate exercise

What is a jaundice diet?

Several doctors and other health experts advise jaundice patients to switch over to a jaundice diet for a couple of weeks, or at least until the condition becomes less serious.  In most cases, a patient is asked to go on a juice and a liquid diet for about a week. This prevents the chances of dehydration and at the same time, provides the body with foods that are easy to digest, but are still very high in nutrition. Fresh vegetable juices (beet root, carrot and spinach), fruit juices (orange, pear, grapes and lemons) and vegetable broth are perfect for consumption at this time. The liquid diet may also be extended, till the acute symptoms of jaundice subside. While following this diet, a hot water enema may be recommended for proper bowel elimination, in order to keep the body from absorbing decomposed or toxic material into the bloodstream.

After the juice diet, a patient may be asked to go on an all-fruit diet for about 3 to 5 days. Hence, the three or four meals consumed per day, should consist of fresh fruits, like apples, pineapples, grapes, pears and oranges. Bananas should never be included in the jaundice diet. However, the liquid and fruit jaundice diet should only be followed, if the doctor prescribes it.

Once the fruit diet is complete, upon the recommendation of a doctor, a diet that contains normal foods cooked with minimal oils and spices should be incorporated. Alcohol, caffeine, whole dairy products, sweets and red meats should be strictly avoided by a jaundice patient, till the condition is completely cured.

Bilirubin can be described as the yellowish-brown substance, found in bile, which is produced when the liver breaks the old red blood cells down. It is eliminated from the body in the form of feces and it is the substance that gives the stool its normal color. There are certain factors that can cause the bilirubin in the body to increase, like alcohol, spices, certain medication and acidic foods. A high level of bilirubin in the body is accompanied by yellowing of the skin and the whites of the eyes. An excess of bilirubin in the body can lead to jaundice. Therefore, following a healthy bilirubin diet is important, which limits the consumption of excessively rich foods, oil, spices, alcohol and so on. Foods that should be a part of a healthy bilirubin diet are coconut water, radishes, dried fruits and tomatoes.

Jaundice is a serious condition, which could even be fatal, if it is not treated in the right manner. Jaundice nutrition and supplements are an integral part of treatment for jaundice. Therefore, it is best to have a doctor monitor the diet followed as well as the recovery process carefully, in order to prevent relapses or any other complications.